Chapter 103

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Chapter 103: Alone

Lin Haoqing sat down next to Ji Yunhe and slowly poured himself a cup of tea.

"When you left the Demon Valley six years ago, I thought we'd never sit together like this again." Lin Haoqing took a sip. "Over the years, you were imprisoned then taken to the north, while I stayed in the valley doing only one thing."

"Developing the antidote for the frost poison?"

"Correct. But for a long time, I didn't have access to the poison to help in my research. When Princess Shunde ordered me to go north, I used the opportunity and acquired some from her. Ji Yunhe, do you know what I found after I got the frost poison?"

"I don't care. Lin Haoqing, I only came here to ask for your help in saving Changyi. If you don't know how, I will go by myself."

Lin Haoqing glanced at her. "There's no rush. Listen to what I have to say before you make a decision." He continued, "When I was analyzing the components, I found a special poison used as one of the main ingredients. Lin Canglan had mentioned this poison to me many times before back when I was young."

"Lin Canglan also studied the frost poison?"

"He told me of a drug that could be used as an antidote to this poison. I went into his room again for the first time since his death, and there I found the secrets that allowed me to save you later on."

He smiled sarcastically. "There was a secret passage under Lin Canglan's bed leading to a room full of artifacts used for developing the pills he fed you. I found this in there." He took out a book from his pocket, placed it on the table and pushed it to Ji Yunhe.

"What is this?" Ji Yunhe flipped through the book.

It was densely packed with written notes. There were prescriptions, diagrams of herbs, words and phrases jotted down on a whim, and some ink marks splashed out of frustration.

"This book records his life's work, including the solution to the frost poison." Lin Haoqing drank a cup of tea. "Shunde gave the command before I had time to study the book, so I took it with me to the north. I intended on sending the demon masters to you as a gift, you received it very well." He praised Ji Yunhe, something he rarely did. "And along the way, I found inside this book the method of refining humans into demons, and learned they would have two lives."

That was why it was possible to save her after she died...

"I also learned that Lin Canglan used to be a disciple of the Grand Master's house."

Ji Yunhe was stunned. "Never heard him mention it."

"Of course he wouldn't tell anyone. Fifty years ago, the Grand Master had trouble developing the frost poison because he couldn't find the main ingredient to use as base. Lin Canglan found it. He kept it from the Grand Master and tried to run away with his newlywed wife, but the Grand Master threatened him with her life and made him hand over the poison. Lin Canglan was then sent to the Demon Valley. Soon after, his wife grew ill and passed away, and the Grand Master successfully developed the frost poison, gaining total control of the demon master tribe."

Lin Haoqing told the story as if it were about a stranger instead of his own father.

"Lin Canglan lived in deep remorse ever since, believing it was his mistake that led to the confinement of the demon master tribe. Twenty-five years later, Lin Canglan gave birth to me." Lin Haoqing lowered his head and looked at the teacup. "He said I was too similar to him back then... soft, indecisive, and not cut out for major responsibilities. In order to keep me from making the same mistakes out of weakness or love, he trained me ruthlessly..."

Lin Haoqing looked at Ji Yunhe.

"What he did later on, you should know better than anyone."

Lin Canglan forced Ji Yunhe to betray Lin Haoqing, and turned Lin Haoqing into a poisonous snake…

"He hoped after he died, there would be someone to lead the demon master tribe into freedom. He desperately trained me because he was running out of time."

Lin Haoqing turned over Ji Yunhe's wrist and pointed to her pulse.

Even though she possessed both demonic power and spiritual power, she no longer had a hidden pulse because she was now in the body of a demon.

"The frost only targets those with spiritual power. Once you refine a demon master into a demon, the two powers will fuse together and the demonic side will dissolve the poison of the frost, rendering it useless. His research did not go well at first, and many people died. But he finally found one who was a success." Lin Haoqing nodded at Ji Yunhe, "You survived among his many attempts, but in fact the drug was not considered complete. It still needed the power of a demon master and a compatible demon as sacrifice. Lin Canglan had come too far to give up, so he used his own spiritual power and his demon slave, Qing Shu. They did it gradually over the course of ten years."

Ji Yunhe mobilized some power and black gas surfaced over her palm.

Lin Canglan's demon slave, Qing Shu, was a black fox demon. No wonder...

No wonder they were so weak the night Ji Yunhe and Lin Haoqing killed them...

"The night we killed Lin Canglan and Qing Shu, was when they were going to give you the last pill."

That was why they could not find any more antidotes. It was the very last one.

"After that, the tendons in your body needed to be broken apart so the refining process could complete by reshaping your bones."

Ji Yunhe remembered after she pushed Changyi off the cliff, the soldiers shot her full of arrows...

And that was the first time she used the power of the nine-tailed fox demon.

Everything fell into place. All of her questions were now answered, and Ji Yunhe suddenly felt like such a small chess piece among the grand scheme of things.

"Heh..." she laughed bitterly. "Look at this. For years, we didn't even know what we were in the big picture." She looked at Lin Haoqing. "Turns out you and I are just a drop in the bucket. This world is still just a game played by the big guys."

"But you and I, we killed a hand that moved the pieces."

Ji Yunhe was silent for a moment.

Lin Canglan had worked and planned for years, but in the end, he was killed by the two people he raised himself.

So ironic...

She wondered how Lin Canglan must have felt the moment his own son ended his life. Was he sorry, or did he get what he wanted...

"Fate plays us all..." Ji Yunhe said after a while. "But I still can't sympathize with Lin Canglan."

"I do not sympathize with him either. He also does not need our sympathy. But I acknowledge his efforts. He spent his life wanting to make up for his mistake, free his people, get rid of the Grand Master and restore balance to the world. I want to continue down this path of his."

"So, you came to the capital..."

"In order to get the production process of a few ingredients from Shunde," Lin Haoqing said. "I made some changes to the pill that refines humans into demons..."

Ji Yunhe frowned, "And you gave it to Shunde? That's why she suddenly became so powerful!" She recalled Qu Xiaoxing's words and slapped the table, shouting in anger, "What did you guys do to Qing Ji?!"

"I did not intend on using her as a sacrifice for Shunde. I would never want to bring this kind of trouble upon myself. But things went outside of my expectations." Lin Haoqing also looked a bit distressed.

"The jade phoenix attacked the capital and was captured by the Grand Master. Even she was no match for him. It is now clear there is no way to take him down by force. However, the Grand Master is extremely attached to Shunde and it clouds his judgment, so I did some tampering with the pills I gave her…"

"What did you do?"

"I was certain the Grand Master and Shunde were in internal conflict with each other, and he would one day die from his arrogance. The final winner between the two of them should be her, so I tampered the pills with a spell that would allow me to easily kill her with a bit of magic," he paused. "But she did not wait for me to pick out a good demon for her. She went off on her own and used Ji Chengyu and the jade phoenix as sacrifices."

Ji Chengyu and Qing Ji...

Ji Yunhe closed her eyes and clenched her fist so hard that it trembled. It took a very long time for her to suppress her emotions.

"What about your spell?"

"The jade phoenix's power was too strong and broke the spell in the medicine."

Ji Yunhe gritted her teeth and stood up. "I shouldn't have wasted all this time here with you." She turned to leave and was blocked by Lin Haoqing's demon slave, Siyu. She held out a sword and said, "Aji, it'd be better if you stay."

Lin Haoqing also stood up. "The Grand Master always seems to be unconcerned about the world's affairs, but he will never let anyone be as strong as him. After the jade phoenix escaped from the Ten Square Formation, he spent years looking for her, and immediately went after her as soon as she appeared in the north. It is apparent that the Grand Master considered Qing Ji a threat. Now that she is dead and her power taken by Shunde, he will not tolerate Shunde for much longer. A little provocation is all that's needed, and they will soon be at each other's throats."

Ji Yunhe threw him a side eye, "So?"

"I don't know where Shunde learned the information about you and the jiaoren, and I didn't think capturing the jiaoren would be a priority for her. But I believe if she did not kill him right away, then his life shouldn't be in danger for a while," Lin Haoqing said calmly. "She has set up a trap, just waiting for you to fall in."

Siyu agreed with him, "You can wait until Shunde fights with the Grand Master, then go save the jiaoren."

"Wait?" Ji Yunhe snickered. "Princess Shunde is crazy, I know her madness better than anyone."

Lin Haoqing fell silent.

"The torment I suffered at her hands, I don't want Changyi to endure even a second of it. I will go to save him today, and no one can stop me."

As she said this, the earth suddenly began to tremor and quake. The mark on Ji Yunhe's ear allowed her to sense that it came from the direction where Changyi was. She pushed open the door anxiously and walked out.

"Ji Yunhe," Lin Haoqing stood in the warm light of the house and watched her fading shadow, "remember, no one will go save you today."

Ji Yunhe did not stop. Her voice drifted out to him from the darkness of the night.

"Mind your own business. You've never seen me today."

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